Brick press with means for withdrawing air from brick raw material

ABSTRACT

A lower fixed frame has a lower fixed piston thereon. An upper movable frame has thereon an upper movable piston adapted to be moved toward and away from the lower frame such that the upper and lower pistons oppose each other. A mold having a crosssection corresponding to that of the pistons is positioned to support brick raw material between the upper and lower pistons. A pair of bellows surround the upper and lower pistons in an air tight manner. The upper bellows has its lower end connected to a plate which is supported by servo-cylinders. An air tight ring is fixed to the bottom of the plate and is adapted to create an air tight seal with the top of the mold when the servo-cylinders are actuated to move the upper bellows downwardly. A suitable vacuum pump is connected by vacuum lines to the areas within each of the bellows.

[ Jan. 8, 1974 3,3|7,960 5/l967 425/388 X 3,36l,608 l/l968 Janetos ctal. 425/388 UX Primary Examiner-Robert L. Spicer, Jr. Attorney-15. F.Wenderoth et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A lower fixed frame has a lower fixed piston thereon. Anupper movable frame has thereon an upper movable piston adapted to bemoved toward and away from the lower frame such that the upperand lowerpistons oppose each other. A mold having a cross section correspondingto that of the pistons is positioned to support brick raw materialbetween the upper and lower pistons. A pair of bellows surround theupper and lower pistons in an air tight manner. The upper bellows hasits lower end connected to a plate whichis supported by servo-cylinders.An air tight ring is fixed to the bottom of the plate and is adapted tocreate an air tight seal with the top of the mold when theservo-cylinders are actuated to move the upper bellows downwardly. Asuitable vacuum pump is connected by vacuum lines to the areas withineach of the bellows.

Okayama, Japan Mitsuishi Fukai Tekkosho, Ltd., Wakegun, OkayamaPrefecture, Japan 425/78, 425/405 Int. B290 3/00 425/352, 408, 405,425/406, 388, 78

United States Patent [191 Iwasaki BRICK PRESS WITH MEANS FOR WITHDRAWINGAIR FROM BRICK RAW MATERIAL [75] Inventor: Shigeo Iwasaki,

[73] Assignee:

[22] Filed: Jan. 25, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 220,626

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June l2, I970 [52] US. 425/352,425/406, 425/388,

[ [58] Field of Search....................

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 9 .12 Ii m ,2 :lrffll'"llfll s m C 3,689,186 9/1972 Winter et R27,435 7/1972 ShelbyPATENTEDJAN 8l974 l- I I FIGJ BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to a brick press of the type wherein a brick is formedby pressing a powdered brick raw material in a mold by opposed pistons.More particularly, the present invention is directed to such a brickpress which includes provision for eliminating air from the raw materialduring compression thereof by the pistons.

There are presently known many types of brick presses of the typewherein the raw material is pressed in a mold between a pair of pistons.However, all such known presses inherently suffer from the disadvantagethat during the pressing operation air is entrained in the material andcompresses. The compressed air tends to counter the pressure of thepistons, thereby reducing production efficiency. Furthermore, the airtends to be come entrained in the brick, thereby reducing the quality ofbricks produced.

OBJECTS AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With the above discussionin mind, it is a principle object of the present invention to provide abrick press of the type wherein raw material is pressed between opposedpistons in a mold and which include provision for avoiding entrainmentand compression of air in the raw material during the pressingoperation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a pressincluding means to withdraw air from the raw material prior to and/orduring the pressing operation.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such apress having higher production efficiency and capable of producingbricks of better quality than heretofore known brick presses.

These objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention bythe provision of a lower fixed frame having a lower fixed pistonthereon. An upper movable frame having thereon an upper movable pistonis adapted to be moved toward and away from the lower frame such thatthe upper and lower pistons oppose each other. A mold having across-section corresponding to that of the pistons is positioned tosupport brick raw material between the upper and lower pistons. A pairof bellows surround the upper and lower pistons in an air tight manner.The upper bellows has its lower end connected to a plate which issupported by servo-cylinders. An air tight ring is fixed to the bottomof the plate and is adapted to create an air tight seal with the top ofthe mold when the servo-cylinders are actuated to move the upper bellowsdownwardly. A suitable vacuum pump is connected by vacuum lines to theareas within each of the bellows. The servocylinders are actuated tocause the air tight ring to create a seal with the top of the mold. Thevacuum pump is then actuated to withdraw air from the chamber within thebellows and enclosing the raw material and to create a vacuum therein.The upper piston is then actuated to compress the raw material. However,since this pressing operation is conducted on the raw material in avacuum, no air becomes entrained in the brick raw material.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will bemade clear from the following detailed description taken together withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view partially incross-section of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partially in cross-section of the manner increating seal with the mold of the device shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference now to thedrawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in more detail.

A stationary lower frame 8 has mounted thereon a stationary lower piston3. An upper movable frame 4 has an upper movable piston 2 mountedthereon and is adapted to be moved toward and away from frame 8 andguided by suitable means such as guide columns 4a. A support plate 6 isconnected to the piston rods of servo-cylinders 7 and is accordingly,movable upwardly and downwardly. A mold l is attached to the uppersurface of support plate 6 and is movable therewith. Mold 1 has across-section corresponding to the cross-section of upper and lowerpistons 2 and 3 and is adapted to accommodate brick raw material 5. Bythe above structure, it is possible after a brick is formed to lowersupport plate 6 and mold 1 such that the formed brick is positionedabove the top of mold 1. This facilitates removal of the brick. It is tobe understood that an alternative arrangement is to maintain mold lstationary while lifting frame 8 and piston 3 to move the formed brickabove the top of mold l.

The above described structures are known in the art. As discussed above,in the use of such a structure, air becomes entrained and compressed inraw material 5 during the pressing operation.

In accordance with the present invention, this problem is eliminated byproviding the following means for creating a vacuum in the raw material5. A first upper bellows 9 has its upper end attached in an air tightmanner to the under surface of frame 4 or to the outer surface of piston2. The lower end of bellows 9 is attached in an air tight manner to aplate 9a which is supported by the piston-rods of servo-cylinders 10. Onthe under surface of plate is an air tight resilient ring 11 which isadapted to create an air tight seal with the upper surface of mold 1when servo-cylinders 10 are actuated in a downwardly directed manner.

A second lower bellows 12 has its lower end attached in an airtightmanner to the upper surface of frame 8 or to the outer surface ofpiston 3. The upper end of bellows 12 is attached in an air tight mannerto the under surface of support plate 6.

Therefore, itwill be apparent that when upper bellows 9 is lowered tocreate an air tight seal between ring 1 1 and mold 1, an air tightchamber is formed inwardly of bellows 9 and 12 and encloses raw material5. A conventional vacuum pump 13 is connected to the areas withinbellows 9 and 12 by means of lines 14.

It is believed that the operation of the device of the present inventionwill be clear from the above description. However, the operation and useof the device will be described in more detail below.

Plate 6 and mold l are positioned approximately in the positionillustrated in FIG. 1. Raw material 5 is then filled into mold 1. Atthis time, servo-cylinders 10 are actuated to lower bellows 9 and causean air tight seal to be created between ring 11 and the upper surface ofmold l. Thereafter, vacuum pump 13 is actuated to create a desireddegree of vacuum within bellows 9 and 12 and raw material 5. When asuitable vacuum is achieved, upper frame 4 and upper piston 2 are moveddownwardly in a conventional manner to press raw material 5 betweenpistons 2 and 3 and thus form a brick. However, since a vacuum has beencreated within bellows 9 and 12 and raw material 5, there will be nocompression of air during the pressing operation. It will be apparentthat as a result the quality of the bricks produced will be improved andthe efficiency of the pressing operation will be substantiallyincreased.

After the brick is shaped, bellows 9 and upper piston 2 are movedupwardly. At such time, servo-cylinders 7 may be actuated to lowersupport plate 6 and mold l, leaving the shaped brick above the top levelof the mold. The formed brick may then readily be removed in aconventional manner.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed in detail, such description is intended to be illustrativeonly, and not restrictive, since many details of the various elementsmay be altered or modified without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In 'a brick press of the type including a lower piston mounted on alower frame, an upper piston mounted on an upper frame to oppose saidlower piston. a mold for supporting brick raw material between saidpistons, and means for moving one of said pistons toward the other forpressing therebetween said raw material; the improvement comprising:

a first bellows means surrounding said one piston; means for moving saidfirst bellows means to create an air tight seal with said mold, saidmeans for moving said first bellows means comprising a plate sealed tosaid first bellows, at least one servocylinder supporting said plate onsaid frame supporting said one piston, said servo-cylinder movable toselectively move said plate toward and away from said mold, and aresilient ring positioned on said plate and adapted to contact said moldwhen said servo-cylinder moves said plate toward said mold; a secondbellows means surrounding said other piston; said first and secondbellows means forming an air tight chamber enclosing said raw materialwhen said first bellows means is moved to create said air tight sealwith said mold; and means to create a vacuum in said chamber and withinsaid raw material.

1. In a brick press of the type including a lower piston mounted on a lower frame, an upper piston mounted on an upper frame to oppose said lower piston, a mold for supporting brick raw material between said pistons, and means for moving one of said pistons toward the other for pressing therebetween said raw material; the improvement comprising: a first bellows means surrounding said one piston; means for moving said first bellows means to create an air tight seal with said mold, said means for moving said first bellows means comprising a plate sealed to said first bellows, at least one servo-cylinder supporting said plate on said frame supporting said one piston, said servo-cylinder movable to selectively move said plate toward and away from said mold, and a resilient ring positioned on said plate and adapted to contact said mold when said servo-cylinder moves said plate toward said mold; a second bellows means surrounding said other piston; said first and second bellows means forming an air tight chamber enclosing said raw material when said first bellows means is moved to create said air tight seal with said mold; and means to create a vacuum in said chamber and within said raw material. 